'Rolling resistance' leads to clashes at Lancashire fracking site

An intensification of protests at fracking sites has led to concerns about rising levels of violence.

Both demonstrators and the fracking company Cuadrilla say they are increasingly worried that someone will get seriously hurt or even killed unless the situation improves.

Anti-fracking demonstrators have temporarily abandoned their traditional techniques for a month of what they describe as "rolling resistance". Its aim is to hold up work at test wells in Lancashire with a range of actions.

One protester claims she was knocked unconscious by a security officer employed by Cuadrilla and a man has accused Lancashire police of pushing him out of his wheelchair during a 'lock-on' at one of the sites.

Footage shows the man falling out of his chair and ending up on the road before being helped back up.

Lancashire police say: "We are aware of comments and videos circulating on social media following an incident at the fracking site on Preston New Road, near Blackpool, involving a man in a wheelchair.

"The man appeared to be wheeling himself... in between a police vehicle and directly into the path of a lorry that was being escorted to the site. Officers on scene have taken immediate action to keep the man safe... by moving him out of the carriageway. During this intervention he unfortunately fell backwards and came out of his wheelchair."

On behalf of the campaigners, a woman who gave her name as Danni said that protesters were trying to demonstrate peacefully.

"We're not here to cause damage to people, we're here to disrupt Cuadrilla and their operations," she said.

"I think a lot of the escalating violence is coming from the police and the security and we've got to do our best to push back against that and say, this is our legal right to protest."

Another campaigner, Katrina Lawrie, told Sky News that she had been knocked unconscious by a security guard while trying to demonstrate peacefully.

She said: "One of the security ran at me and pushed my head into the floor which resulted in me being knocked unconscious.

"We don't raise our hand to anyone. We're always peaceful."

But Francis Egan, the boss of fracking firm Cuadrilla, criticised the protesters, saying they were trying to intimidate workers going about their lawful business.

"We've had 160 arrests in the last six months," Mr Egan said. "We've already had 23 convictions including for carrying a knife, for abuse and for assault, and we have many more cases to come before the magistrates.

"To give the impression that this is peaceful or a lawful protest is frankly ridiculous."

Demonstrators are increasingly resorting to a device known as a "lock-on" tube - a piece of iron pipe in which one or two people can lock in their arms. The devices are typically very heavy and make it difficult to remove people attached to them.

As I tried to demonstrate a lock-on tube on camera, police intervened to stop filming.